Libyan Civil War Megathread

[Tonitrus]

FOX News is reporting that derspiess doesn't believe she's worth the $569,000 per Tomahawk.

We need cheaper weapons.

$122million supersonic top of the range fighter jets? What good are those against jihadists and other miscellanious third worlders? Lets be having a slow, sturdy, cheap and cheerful plane please.

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

Yeah, unfortunately, the people who usually rise to leadership are the fighter jocks.  I sympathize more with bombers and CAS (and nowadays, more UAVs) myself.

Our current Chief of Staff has a transport pilot/SpecOps background, so hopefully things might move (slowly, as always) a bit away from fighter silliness.

[CountDeMoney]

Our current Chief of Staff has a transport pilot/SpecOps background, so hopefully things might move (slowly, as always) a bit away from fighter silliness.

The Pentagon, the defense industry and their little bitches in Congress have more of a say in the matter.

[DontSayBanana]

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

This is totally off-topic, but some of us actually like the Warthog.  It's annoying how they automatically assume everyone's just gonna agree that it's ugly.

[jimmy olsen]

So, how about Obama's speech? Good, bad, so-so?

[CountDeMoney]

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

This is totally off-topic, but some of us actually like the Warthog.  It's annoying how they automatically assume everyone's just gonna agree that it's ugly.

The book is about the Pentagon's and Air Force's constant attempts to kill the project despite the fundamental need for CAS and as one of the most successful air platforms ever.  Dickhead.

[Grinning_Colossus]

So, how about Obama's speech? Good, bad, so-so?

He gave a speech laying out the administration's position. It told the informed something they already knew and the ignorant something they weren't paying attention to.

[Tonitrus]

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

This is totally off-topic, but some of us actually like the Warthog.  It's annoying how they automatically assume everyone's just gonna agree that it's ugly.

Actually, I've always thought the A-10 was pretty. 

The sad reality is, though, even if someone in the Pentagon got it in their brain to restart production of the A-10, the defense contractor would likely be all "zomg, it needs all these fancy new avionics packages and what-not, will only cost $500 billion plz".

[sbr]

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

This is totally off-topic, but some of us actually like the Warthog.  It's annoying how they automatically assume everyone's just gonna agree that it's ugly.

The book is about the Pentagon's and Air Force's constant attempts to kill the project despite the fundamental need for CAS and as one of the most successful air platforms ever.  Dickhead.

Banana isn't worried about details like that as long as the plane is pretty.

[Viking]

Read Warthog and The Close Air Support Debate, and you'll hate the Chair Force even more.

This is totally off-topic, but some of us actually like the Warthog.  It's annoying how they automatically assume everyone's just gonna agree that it's ugly.

Actually, I've always thought the A-10 was pretty. 

The sad reality is, though, even if someone in the Pentagon got it in their brain to restart production of the A-10, the defense contractor would likely be all "zomg, it needs all these fancy new avionics packages and what-not, will only cost $500 billion plz".

I've felt the same thing about the NATO standard frigates we are sending to the gulf of aden to chase pirates. Exceptionally expensive hyper advanced ships capable of hunting akula's and typhoons and beating off backfire and cruise missile attacks. I can't help thinking a WWII corvette with a good communications suite, good living quarters, a good cook, a few heavy weapons and a helicopter hanger would do just job for 1/10 the price and slightly better.

[Hansmeister]

So, how about Obama's speech? Good, bad, so-so?

He added to his routine bashing of President Bush some bashing of President Clinton. Otherwise it was his usual incoherence on display.

[Admiral Yi]

I only caught a snip of it, but my impression is that the multilateral tail is wagging the mission dog.

[Berkut]

The A-10 is actually undergoing a modernization/SLEP program. Going to be the A-10C pretty soon - adding modern avionics, integrated PGM delivery capability.

[Slargos]

FOX News is reporting that derspiess doesn't believe she's worth the $569,000 per Tomahawk.

We need cheaper weapons.

$122million supersonic top of the range fighter jets? What good are those against jihadists and other miscellanious third worlders? Lets be having a slow, sturdy, cheap and cheerful plane please.

I've been thinking the same thing for years now. Every war of the last few decades has been a quick and overwhelming air campaign to knock out any AA and moving vehicle larger than a VW Beetle, followed by mop up and potentially counter-insurgency warfare. People like the Serbs have more sense than to keep fighting after their capability to effectively resist is gone, but the muds they continue sniping and bombing. What use is a MBT against insurgents? A Raptor against 3 guys in a Toyota with a mounted recoilless rifle?

A vast fleet of A-10s and relatively cheap explosives seems to be where it's at. Paying half a million dollars to kill a few arabs is too fucking expensive.

[Ed Anger]

#
1012: Libya's state news agency, Jana, is reporting that Col Gaddafi's son, Khamis Gaddafi arrived at his father's Tripoli compound late Monday evening, according to BBC Monitoring.

Franco is alive again.

[KRonn]

The A-10 is actually undergoing a modernization/SLEP program. Going to be the A-10C pretty soon - adding modern avionics, integrated PGM delivery capability.

Good to hear; damn good airplane for ground attack and close support. Like a super helicopter gunship. I also like the way they look. I've seen them fly over - damn cool and sinister look.